Office Hours: I am working to eradicate chronic stress and burnout and help founders depart from traditional capitalist business models.
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Office Hours: I am working to eradicate chronic stress and burnout and help founders depart from traditional capitalist business models.Featured
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Hi Everyone! I’m Brionna Ned, a lifetime learner, a writer, and a firm believer in the power of connection and community.During the day I run Bask + Being with @kaseydreier, a company on a mission to eradicate chronic stress and burnout. I also run my own business as a coach and culture consultant for new businesses and entrepreneurs looking to depart from the traditional capitalist models of building a business.In a past life, I was a lawyer and sometimes I still am :). I’ve worked in big law and most recently was counsel at Canoo, an electric vehicle startup. My legal skills range from all things intellectual property, managing complex litigation, and developing and implementing compliance programs.I’m a firm believer that wherever truth goes, healing flows and that leaders can only take people as far as they’ve gone. That means being a leader in whatever form should be a deeply introspective, lifelong journey towards healing and truth. I’m obsessed with how people relate to each other. Formally, I’ve studied how people interact in groups and how people are governed (International Relations BA, Sociology MA, and JD). Informally, I’ve studied how people relate to themselves and specifically their unconscious (Jungian Psychology). Ask me anything about taking the road less traveled when it comes to building a business, stress and burnout prevention, the future of capitalism (spoiler alert: it’s dying), the radical evolution we are currently in, and what I’m currently studying. No question is silly. I’ll meet you wherever you are :).
jessicali·Jul 12, 2020jessicali·Jul 12, 2020Thanks so much for joining us, @ezbrizlax12. Elphas: please reply in the comments with your questions for @ezbrizlax12 before this Friday. She may not have time to answer every single question, so please emoji upvote the ones that interest you most. Thanks!!
I'd love to hear about the road less traveled. You mentioned that current business models are dying. How do you see this playing out? What do future models look like? What does your business model look like?
I read a really interesting article a few years ago about millennials and how unfortunate it is to be apart of our generation because we are the first generation to only experience the costs and consequences of capitalism. Essentially, it said that capitalism has burned through any of its benefits and the reason millennials are having such a hard time is that we've come of age when the consequences of capitalism are starting to reveal themselves: burnout, climate change, rampant income inequality, the evisceration of a middle class. When I read that I remembered that burnout is simply an imbalanced equation. The equation is energy input = energy output. The rule is that when you run out of inputs, you run out of outputs. When you run out of outputs, that's called burnout. Right now, capitalism is causing everything (the planet and all its resources) and everyone to burnout. We're running out of inputs and we are showing zero signs of balancing the equation. If we don't balance the equation, capitalism dies (along with a lot of other stuff). If we do balance the equation, that's not capitalism anymore. For my own business, we operate under the assumption that we're an average business, not a unicorn. That means we do things for contentment. We are creating a business that we're passionate about that we want to provide us financial stability and we want to be able to do the work for a long time (you can define contentment however you want). It also means we aren't trying to build the next Google and we have no problem with a 7-figure revenue stream. That's a totally different head space and requires totally different resources. We also take 7 weeks of vacay, personal days when we need them, and we design our business model for working 4 days a week.
So basically you're saying capitalism isn't sustainable. It sounds like doing business forward and future involves complete and total mindfulness. Your business model sounds ideal.
I would go one step further: doing business going forward requires every single person to turn on their complete and total humanity. Full stop.
wow! so inspiring Brionna! I really hope we will all move in your direction.
OMG! Bout time we had more anti-capitalist talk in here! Would love to hear your top writers, teachers and resources for worker-owned and cooperative models, especially in tech, ecomm/retail and agriculture. I know it's in the cards for me to co-found a cooperative business in my lifetime (redistribute that capital baby!) but there's so few signposts along the road that each direction looks murky. It is so good to have you here!!
Hahaha each direction looks murky because no one really knows how to do it and we are all feeling our way through it as we go! I don't have a lot of models. I just study capitalism a lot and then use my imagination to try to create the thing I want. :) It's a challenge because we have to lean into our intuition and trust that it's right. Capitalist models and white patriarchy are hyper focused on concrete "facts" and distrusting of instinct. Building something outside of capitalism requires you to draw on the other half of your knowledge, something Minna Salami calls "Sensuous Knowledge." It's a book; you should read it. I would also recommend reading any black feminist theory. Generally when black women discuss liberation and equitable societies, it means liberty and equity for all because everyone else has to get free in order for us to get free the way our society is currently structured. I'm loving Minna's book, but bell hooks is another favorite. The key to this next step is bold imagination.
Wow -- thank you so much for responding!! Instinct, imagination...ah yes, this is what I haven't yet found in SMB podcasts or business startup guides from co-op orgs. This steering toward black feminist theory (the ultimate "duh") is very affirming and energizing, thank you so so much!
So in love with this answer 😭😭😭😭
Any advice for someone who wants to get in with and/or start a tech cooperative? What are some of the challenges that co-ops face as opposed to traditional businesses?
I think co-ops can face the challenge of town hall democracy if you don't set up some sort of executive board with authority to make high level decisions. Majority vote sounds ideal in theory, but having worked at a place where that was a thing, it turns into high school very quickly. People get catty, alliances get formed, and petty comments can sway decisions really easily.
That makes total sense, and it's something I didn't think of. Thanks for all your responses, this is all super interesting and informative, excited to learn more :)
Hi Samantha, I'm 5 years into building a marketing Collective. It's not a CO-Op in the legal sense (I am the sole owner). But we're building with the assumption that we must optimize the business to maximize STAKEHOLDER value (consultants, clients, the business, and the industry at large). I'm happy to share openly about what I've learned so far. I'm also a huge fan of the Zebra Movement. https://www.zebrasunite.com/ GREAT podcast episode (though unfortunately they're not making new episodes) https://zigzagpod.com/2019/04/25/s4-ep02-an-alternative-to-silicon-valleys-unicorn-bullsht/
Thanks, Karen! Can't wait to listen to that episode. I'd love to hear how you got started with the collective and what you've learned. Did you build it from the ground up without any outside funding?
Yes, started from the ground up with no outside funding. I did so by starting with consulting services that I could provide myself, then growing to selling consulting services and managing relationships, but hiring people to help me execute, and then ultimate to building a brand and selling other people's consulting services and packaging teams of consultants. In the beginning, I would be jumping in and doing the billable consulting myself whenever cash was tight and so that I could pay myself (OK, some months I couldn't pay myself). This bootstrap model worked because with services you don't have to make the up-front investments you might have to do in other businesses. In fact, I've had people who were excellent digital marketers consult for Apiary part time to keep income and get a little cashflow to fund their own bootstrap startups, which is super rewarding for me to see!The other thing that made it easier to get started was that I left the expense of San Francisco behind, packed a backpack and traveled and spent time in cheap places so my costs were low and it didn't feel that risky to have very little money. I know that's not an option for everyone (and now in my mid-thirties, I can't imagine wanting to do that! But at the time, it was critical to getting the business off the ground, and it was really fun, too!)I would be curious to hear more about what you're thinking of building? Do you want to boot-strap it?
@karenamundson oh love that! I love Zebra Movement too! (Are you in there, I will try to find you!). @ezbrizlax12 what are your thoughts on optimizing for STAKEHOLDER value?
Hi Brionna,It's great to e-meet you. You feel very much like a kindred spirit. I'm also on a mission to dismantle burnout and advance purpose-driven success. I blend my African tradition, mindfulness, Qigong, traditional Chinese medicine knowledge and my clinical psychologist, University psychology professor, evidence-based strategy knowledge into a formula for sustainable living and fulfillment. Right now, I work with women professionals and entrepreneurs. In the past, I worked with organizations and healthcare providers in the HIV/AIDS epidemic to support burnout prevention and recovery.I'm in love with everything I can learn about purpose, finding your purpose, living your purpose and conscious models of leadership that center ancient traditions. I'm particularly drawn to studying African feminine forces of nature and the guidance they provide on leadership, equity, collaboration, and harmonious societies.Please share what you're reading now. I'm re-reading A Life Centered Life Living Maat by Rkhty Amen.
Ha! I'm going to message you! Embracing multi-dimensionality is so empowering! I can add depth psychology, past life regressions, and soul history :). I'm currently reading The Goddess Blackwoman, Sensuous Knowledge, and My Grandmother's Hands.
Brionna, a colleague recently shared this article, "Is Capitalism Racist?" I haven't finished it but the title intrigued me right away. https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2020/05/25/is-capitalism-racist?fbclid=IwAR0DCXCA-EI6azS5_zQ-09ARrYx9qgN2dVTweN__h4fPmtdyiL5_Wr4ugdc
lol, I could change that title to Capitalism is Racist. It's the evolution of colonization. Imma read it anyway :). Thanks for sharing!
Yes. You're welcome. When I read it, I said, Yes. Of course it's racist. But I know that many people don't think of this as a possibility. I'm gonna read it too.
Yes!!! I often frame my work as teaching women a multi-dimensional, evidence-based strategy for transforming overwhelm and emotional exhaustion into sustainable purpose-driven success and fulfillment. I'll look for your message.
Hi Brionna! I love your brand and totally picking up what you're dropping.I'm most curious on your take on capitalism dying - personally, I think the current iteration of capitalism is dying: financial maximization. And we're going to see a new era of capitalism ushered in that includes values beyond simply max the cash flow. What values do you see in a more collective, communal society? How do these balance with capital? What can we do now to help support the flourishing of these new values? What new, emerging markets do you see in these areas?Or is it that you think capitalism is actually dying in that we're moving into a capital-free society? If that's the case, what's your soothsayer take on how this will occur? Lastly, who are your favorite authors and intellects on this subject? Thank you for your time! 🙏🏼
Hiii! Lots of questions so I'll clarify one thing about capitalism and then try to take the rest in order :). Capitalism is supposed to apply the basic rules of economics. The first and most basic assumption of economics is that resources are scarce. Capitalism applied this rule as follows: (a) success is scarce so we have to be careful about how we pick our "winners" and (b) all other resources are abundant (humans and our productivity and natural resources) so we can pillage them without consequences. Do you see how from the very beginning we misapplied economics? Whenever I think about that I wonder how much else we are getting wrong if we couldn't even get that basic application down. I think the first move towards being a more collective, communal society is widening the aperture of what's possible in terms of how we define "success" and who can be "successful." We are intensely trapped in a scarcity mindset because we misapplied the most basic assumption of economics from the beginning. Underlying our society is a full belief that not everyone can make it; that not everyone can be "successful" meaning that we have to have winners and losers and specifically that losers are an unfortunate, but unavoidable byproduct of capitalism. And to your point we define "success" in terms of extreme financial maximization. You know how we know that doesn't work? In a study (I tried to find it for you and couldn't. If I relocate it, will try to remember to send it to you) that polled a bunch of wealthy people, they asked how much more money they needed to have enough. People with several million dollars said they needed $10M and people with tens of millions of dollars said they needed $100M and so on and so forth. Sorry, but what in the actual fuck? Why do you NEED 10s of millions of dollars? And what part of your psyche is driving that desire? There is an intense deprogramming (decolonization) that needs to happen for us to find a path forward. Many of us who are lucky enough to have financial privilege are so out of touch with what we actually need to have enough and to live a full and content life it's appalling. We have to do better. I could go on, but for the sake of answering other people's questions, I'll stop there. :).
Thank you for your response Brionna, and for sharing some thinkers/resources! One thing that came up when I read your note about how much money people *think* they need is that studies show after ~$70-100K/year, people’s happiness doesn’t much change. Seems like happiness would be a nice value to add into our lives along with financial max!Interesting point about the scarcity of success—totally antithetical to the American Dream narrative that everyone can pull themselves up by their bootstraps and make it big. Seems we have somewhat of a marketing problem here too, capitalism branded as one thing when in reality it’s different. 🙃Thanks again!
Forgot to tell you about authors. If you are on Instagram, follow @toimarie and look at her highlights "Books I love." I'm currently reading Sensuous Knowledge by Minna Salami and My Grandmother's Hands by Resmaa Menakem.
Hey Brionna,This is SUPER interesting to me, as all of these things are stuff I want to see and try to tackle from where I am as well.My question is - how have you convinced others to slow down in their work in the way that is required to prevent burnout? My context: I work in Admin/HR and before being laid off due to COVID I was trying to convince my manager of the need for our business to slow down a bit in its pace as I could see tell tale signs of burnout about to happen from my ground view level interacting with every day workers. I was unsuccessful in the time I had, and she basically told me that my advice was impossible to follow at a startup, even if they knew it was the right thing to do. I’d love to have some new strategies to try when I get my next position, as I don’t think this is something I’ll get away from anytime soon in this country.Thanks for taking the time to answer any of these!
You have to get through to the leaders. We don't like to do work with companies whose leaders don't participate because the leaders need to see both how it's hurting their teams and themselves. Once they have the realization that they themselves are struggling at the same time that each of their teammates realizes he/she/they are struggling, it's a game changer. You have to build empathy and go from there. If there's no willingness to feel empathy, it's kind of a lost cause. We don't work with those teams.
This couldn't have come at a better time for me! I'm the Founder/CEO of Apiary Digital, and our entire vision is based on the premise that the best business results happen by enabling exceptional performers to live their stories. After 5 years, I've learned so much about how to structure work in ways that make more sense for business AND humans. I'm really proud of what I've built and the professional/personal lives Apiary enables for others. I'm starting to share all my learnings on the blog... First blog post here:https://apiarydigital.com/resources/overhaul-business-approach/...The only problem is: I've built a system that is amazing for the people who work for me, but not so great for myself personally. I find that I am chronically stressed, overworked, and getting sick too often because I'm so passionate about building a system of work that enables life, that I forget to build this into my OWN work life... I am the ultimate hypocrite. I want to live the promise of the thing I deliver for everyone else on my team. But I don't know how to do that. Any advice?
Well, you're not a hypocrite, you are just conditioned to sacrifice yourself for the sake of others. Join the club. Many women are. And I think you'll have to change your definition of what a great system is, because if it's great at your expense, then the truth is that it's not really great. Where are you not communicating or not asking for what you need because you are afraid of hurting the "great system"? Feel free to message me privately, but this is important to correct for your own health and for the long term success of your company!
I’ve seen and heard this kind of burnout specifically in my role as an advisor to small business (past role). You said you started by doing the work yourself then hiring others and would often jump back in when needed. Classic signs of charging as an individual contributor vs a business with adequate margins. I’d look at two areas: how much you’re charging your clients and how much you’re paying your contributors?I helped a client with a marketing collective comfortably raise his rates and stabilize his team payouts to create a more sustainable business. Most of his clients were happy to pay more which was still well under market rates because of the incredible value the company provides.
Thank you Elan
I am currently experimenting with a co-op format (with growth, sustainability/impact, and financial based bottom lines) for my team instead of a capitalistic "company" (usually only financial bottom line matters). I would be curious to hear your thoughts on the crux of the problem with why capitalism doesn't work / is dying and what are some potential alternatives / solutions : )Feel free to answer in your post but also would be interested in grabbing coffee for a deeper conversation.
@maddogS amazing. We've been looking into employee ownership and co-op models. Did you consider employee ownership? If so, what swayed you to co-op? (Also, some people consider them to be basically the same thing, so if that's true for you, would love to hear your perspective on that too!). Thank you and have a great day!
You are already doing one! A co-op! As Kasey says, we are looking at co-op and employee ownership models as we expand our team. The problem with capitalism to me, especially as a small business owner, is that people have to be one-dimensional (specialize). And by our nature, we aren't one-dimensional. It doesn't really fit. The last convo we had about this Kasey said, "I think everyone will need to be an operator, a salesperson, and do programming." I think getting that input from people on all aspects of your business is so valuable, especially if you're small because it's also really feasible. It also makes people really feel like an owner. I know that's the point of stock but having been at a company where I had stock, stock alone did nothing to make me feel like an owner of the company nor did it inspire me to be more engaged or accountable.
thank you both for chiming in... I am finding the crux of the problem is similar to what you said:define and inventive and reward structure that is both fair, transparent and better align the groups and the individual's interests and well being. take startup shares for example... vesting is a must but that leads to employees feeling the golden handcuffs...(especially if you have a back loaded vesting structure like amazon etc...)And the other thing is how to build for a more decentralized structure / more robustness / less efficiency and specialization... I am finding the coop to be in between a company and a volunteer org... where the ppl and their capacities are a lot more variable... so for now ownership is both company based and project based and lean heavily towards projects... I am still trying to experiment and figure things out : )And a question for you both:input from people on all aspects of your business is so valuable => totally agree! but input isn't actual work (I am thinking of all the useless "advisors" that startups have who take equity for nothing, ideas are a dime a dozen, talk is cheap etc...)... how do you ensure the input and work is actually good quality and contributing to the business?
@ezbrizlax12 Bri, thank you for taking the time to answer these questions, share your research and original thoughts, and inspire us to imagine bigger. One question I've been wondering about lately is how small businesses can sustainably integrate mini-reparations into their business model. Some ideas I've had or heard of:-Buy one, gift one for product based -Giving a % of profit to an organization or multiple organizations each year-Making an organization or nonprofit in a reparative space a part owner of the company or co-opAnd I'm keenly interested in how we can localize and intersectionalize reparative economics. For example, I live in New Mexico. Before it was New Mexico, it was indigenous land for 23 tribes (3 Apache, 19 Pueblo, and 1 Navajo Nation). It's also infamously home to the majority of The Manhattan Project and the first atomic bomb (not authorized by the nations) test back in 1945. Which is another example of human-induced damage on the environment and human health. So, when I've been thinking of reparative economics, I've been thinking pretty hard about how to intersect with first nations and the environment, even though those two things don't directly relate to my business. In that way I've been thinking about how to make capitalism more conscious.Would love to hear your perspective on any of the above and reparative economics in general. I'm also curious whether you think conscious capitalism is a sufficient stepping stone to "whatever comes next."Thank you. Proud of you. Inspired by you.
Well, many cultures of BIPOC had economies based on reciprocity prior to colonization, so a return to reciprocity is what I think is really needed. I think lots of people in business look for the cheapest answer when we need to be looking for the communal one. Are there business partners, vendors, etc. in New Mexico that are owned by BIPOC and how can you work with them and center your business in the community that you're in and make an immediate impact? We are obsessed with global, but we forget that our neighbors have needs too. Can we design something that meets them?And it's hard to make capitalism conscious. It's like fitting a square peg in a round hole. Capitalism isn't based on reciprocity; it's based on winners and losers and our acceptance of the cost of losers. What you're speaking to is reciprocity. By definition, there are no losers.
thank you!
This line is so inspirational! "I think lots of people in business look for the cheapest answer when we need to be looking for the communal one." The answer lies within us as a community, if we care to ask the right questions.
Hi Brionna, in the future of capitalism how do you expect to see the current sources of capital (e.g. VCs, foundations, public markets, banks) change? What challenges do you see in realizing those changes and any thoughts on how to overcome them?
The thing about VC is that many of those investment documents misalign interests from the start. The investor interests tend to diverge from the company interests almost immediately and the company's leadership team is immediately caught between a rock and a hard place. I think VC gets to move into the future if we figure out how to align those incentives better, but I'm not optimistic. I think we're already starting to see a wave a smaller companies who aren't trying to be unicorns that need way less capital to get off the ground. Interestingly, those companies tend to be able to achieve the one thing these "unicorns" can't: profitability. So honestly, if we still have the same unspoken rule in the future that investors get to pick and choose the winners (which is its own set of problems), I hope that profit becomes a key question in business decisions because it would completely change whose businesses get investments (hint: a lot more BIPOC and women would get investments). And maybe I'm in idealist, but honestly I hope investments start to look more like a gift economy. I've had a personal realization recently that the stock market is honestly kind of bullshit and that I'd much rather give my money to someone with dreams than let it float around in the "rational" stock market. I know other people who are thinking the same way and already actively reinvesting their money in humans. I love to see it and hope to see more of it.
How can those who have experienced trauma in their lives, feel comfortable and authentic bringing their whole selves to the workplace? Do you think that authenticity and company attitudes towards mental health impact burnout? How do you see us transitioning effectively out of primarily capitalist models, and what do you think is next, especially in the startup/tech space?
This is such an important question. The amount of energy people expend every day trying to keep their humanness out of the workplace is sad. We are expected to show up and be robotic and not have feelings or lives or traumas. Burnout is defined as chronic workplace stress that has been unsuccessfully managed. Stress is nothing more than energy. If you think about how many hours people are expected to work and they amount of energy that takes and then ON TOP OF THAT using whatever energy you have to suppress your humanness, it's no wonder people are burning out. So I don't have an answer. If you're brave, you can bring your authentic self to work and you'll notice once you work the kinks out (what boundaries to hold and when), you'll actually have more energy because you aren't changing who you are several times a day. There are not a lot of workplaces that make space for this and it has a huge impact on mental health and burnout. (see other responses for your 2nd question)
Hi Brionna. This is really interesting stuff! I'd love to hear more about your thoughts on how you see businesses as a collective in the US depart from traditional capitalist business models. I'm particularly fascinated by if and how people culture play into this. For example, the idea of the 4 day work week is something that has been toyed with throughout history but never stuck. I'm beginning to hear about companies trying this again. Is this one thing you discuss with the businesses about avoiding burnout? I am in sourcing/supply chain/operations by day and wellness by side hustle (I teach yoga, meditation and write about wellness) so Bask + Being is right up my alley! Would love to connect and hear more about your mission!
I think it's critical that our economy be centered around small businesses that are meeting a need in their direct community. The bigger businesses get the less communal we become and the more separated we are. We are more separated than ever right now and before the pandemic, deaths of despair were on the rise for the third straight year in a row. People are burning out, they are depressed, they have serious substance abuse problems, and they are committing suicide at alarming rates. I think shifting the core of our economy away from big business and to communal business is key.I do think 4 day work weeks are important, especially right now with screen fatigue. But I'm also interested in how businesses can enable their employees to be strategic. Right now, most people spend their day on busy work putting out fires and they don' t have anytime to think. Many businesses are suffering from the economy right now and what they need more than ever is a workforce that is empowered to be strategic, but they don't know how to create an environment where that's possible. It's a huge miss. We're asking people to do less with more, but we're not creating an environment where they have the time to figure out how to do that.
Thank you!!
Thanks for hosting us!!! I have a tough old question of how do we have the intelligent arrogant ones be willing to teach and spread knowledge? From what I've seen lots are good at doing but HORRIBLE at teaching and collaborating. And that's contributed to lack of senior engineers all around cause there's the outdated understanding of there's only one type of bright engineer "if you can't figure it out on your own, you're not good enough and probably won't be able to take on big challenges anyway." I believe and have seen few that are highly intelligent and are very good at teaching because they understand that there's so much work that needs to get done for the world and it be stupid to not train more to speed up the solution implementation process.
Sigh. This is a classic symptom of capitalism. We promote based on individual skill and not communal skill. All of those senior engineers are great at working by themselves but have no clue how to lead a team, a large part of which includes TEACHING people. So I don't have a whole lot of answers, but I can tell you that those senior engineers are part of the problem in a system that sets them up to fail as managers. There are no requirements that you know how to lead people to be promoted. The requirement for getting promoted is being good at your job which is hyperfocused on your individual output. They probably don't know how to teach and it has never occurred to anyone in your business that they should know how so you and everyone else working for them suffers. I'm sorry.
thank you for the raw answer! It certainly helps to get a confirmation what I think is happening is backed by data.
Hi Brioanna, how do I convince capitalists to reduce housing costs? I am a conflicted, first-time entrepreneur who became an online travel agent, but our original goal was to bring housing costs down. My co-founder and I started out with a home share concept. But after a stray remark by one of my co-founder’s well-connected friends (who is our “warm intro” into the rich, old, white, all-male club), we acquired the ability to sell flights after I put in about $30k and a year of work. As an accountant, my financial models for the travel business produced the “hockey stick” charts that investors expect, at least in the pre-COVID situation. We still haven’t raised a single dollar from the old boys club. There was always more that they “wanted to see”. Since the pandemic started, I am wrecked, knowing that a housing solution is needed now. Unfortunately, through research and my personal experience as a renter, I cannot find an incentive for the landlords, and potential investors to help lower housing costs. Researchers point to the government as the only authority to fix housing. Landlords would rather leave units empty as they wait for the next highest bidder. Investors want big returns. “What about the mortgages for my other 4 houses?”, “Where’s your subscription model?”, I hear them say. I couldn't produce the same "hockey stick" charts that I did for travel. Brionna, as you pointed out, we are transitioning away from capitalism, but before we get there, what can we do to engage the capitalists, the landlords, the investors? The housing crisis is solvable, if they want it to be.
So I don't know anything about housing, but I do know about working with people who are in alignment with your goals and values. A critical lesson for entrepreneurship is that who you take or solicit money from matters. It sounds like the people you're talking to aren't on the same page and don't share the same values so why are you working so hard to get money from them when they fundamentally don't agree with what you stand for? There are more ways to get money than investors so I wonder what would happen if you just walked away from those conversations and went back to the drawing board of what's possible. In the very little that I know about the housing market, I think your critical ally is the architect. I know some who have the same concerns you do that are tackling this problem from the other side (building affordable housing in the first place).
Hi! This is so awesome to see. A few questions I'm curious about- What are your favorite learnings from learning about how people relate to each other? How do you relate to someone you think you wouldn't even relate to? Can you tell me a little about the future of capitalism and what you mean by it's dying? What did you think of being a lawyer? Why did you choose law and what was the profession like versus running your own business? Why did you choose to build your own business? What were the first steps you took?
I think my favorite learnings about how people relate to each other have to do with all the different aspects of our psyche and that at any given time you could be interacting with my authentic self, my ego, my shadow, my warrior, my maiden, etc etc. So when two people connect, I often wonder what parts of their psyche connected and how that effects the foundation of their relationship. Being a lawyer was fine. You know how you are good at things, find them interesting, but don't really care about them? That's how I feel about being a lawyer. I'm good at it, I like learning so it's always exciting in that respect, but it's not that exciting to me mostly because the law is designed to uphold a system I don't believe in. Building a business is exciting because it allows you to be multi-dimensional. I think that's why so many people do it. Because otherwise capitalism says you have to be good at one thing and do that (specialization is key). But when you start a business, you have to learn how to do everything and figure out your strengths and weaknesses and really expand in ways you never thought possible. I decided to start my own business because I was tired of seeing the same thing in every work environment: people not reaching their potential because their workplace is unknowingly handicapping them. The first steps I took in building it were to understand my purpose and my values so I could have something to anchor into when things got tough.
I was on a pitch the other day and the guy on the other end of the video was talking about his two blocks, two days per week to “think.” I thought it was a fantastic idea, wondering if that looks flakey on a work calendar? I block 3 hours per week to work out, but I loved the concept of thinking time (as long as it doesn’t become doomscrolling!)
Yep. The only way to be strategic is to set aside time to think about strategy. When I still practiced law, I remember I spent an afternoon thinking about how to frame up an argument but I didn't have any work product. I was frustrated I couldn't bill for it and complained to the partner on the case. He told me I should absolutely bill for it because it takes work to come up with strategy and that is inherently valuable. I'll never forget it.
@ezbrizlax12 This is an important topic! I am curious, how did you systematize your lead management process?
It's incredibly basic, which is the nice thing about being a small company. We could probably do it better, but we have a weekly goals and KPIs sheet that we create each week and check off things as we go. On that list, we prioritize our leads based on hot, warm, and cold and structure our communication accordingly. It's super rudimentary, but it's worked so far. The people that are in alignment are the ones that follow up anyway.
Hi Brionna!First of all congrats and thank you for the work you do.When I moved to Australia I discovered that I was extremely happy working fewer hours and dedicating more time to read, paint, get inspiration and be with friends. Working fewer hours is more difficult in other countries though where salaries are lower and the working environment not that flexible. Do you see the world moving towards flexibility and working less? What do you think about it?Thank you :)Teresa
I hope so! I know I work less and am way better at my job. Quality over quantity is very real but we still tend to value things by quantity, which is a little bit of what you're speaking to. We prioritize quantity a lot not realizing that we often sacrifice quality (mostly because we don't have an understanding of what our highest quality could be).
I do! I love my team. When we join, no one waves because we’re all sort of waiting for everyone to come. But when we sign off everyone waved goodbye :’) it’s mad cute
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